Editorials

You rate hotels, restaurants, how your product or service was provided. So why not do the same in choosing those for elected office?
Reform in some U.S. states is providing for improved candidate selection, such as rank choice voting where the top contestants in a multiple candidate race are determined by eliminating those with the fewest first-choice votes.

National Football League player protests are back in the national news, thanks to the league’s new policy requiring players to stand and “show respect for the flag” if they are on the field during pregame flag ceremonies – and thanks to the President’s prompt criticism of that policy.

Is it May already? Spring is nearly through, and summer – pending a few more Idaho County snow showers — is nearly here. What also can sneak up on us is wildfire season and preparing our properties to minimize risk.
It’s not a question whether this would be a good idea or not; it’s critical to start the season with plans, followed by action, to fireproof your home and properties as best you can. Its importance is marked each year when the 10 western governors proclaim May as Wildfire Awareness Month.

The annual Salmon River Jet Boat Races are this weekend. Are you going? Apart from the excitement of the spectacle itself, this event kicks off our season of community celebrations we’ll all be enjoying well into fall.
But two important components of these and other such events are lost during our enjoyment: the time and effort that goes into their preparation, planning and execution; and just what these mean for our communities as a whole.

In the four years since ARF (Animal Rescue Foundation) was formed, we’ve been pleased with the long-term strategy the group has held fast to in its plans to form a regional shelter on the Camas Prairie. That patience is a credit to volunteers and the ARF board....

Solutions to school safety have been emotional and driven with the passions of recent crises. Obviously, we’d be negligent to knee jerk and adopt the solutions of the heat of the moment. The problem is multifaceted, and it needs the input of many to provide options that can be thoroughly vetted and pushed for adoption with unity.
Idaho looks to have such an effort in the works.

“We were once the envy of the world,” Perdue stated, concerning infrastructure. “We are in danger of losing that distinct advantage over other nations, and because of that, our rural communities risk slipping farther behind in economic achievement.”
Which rural communities? All of those in Idaho County.

The “forest funds” came up far short last year
In 10 or 20 years — if the Forest Service succeeds in getting out the timber cuts now being proposed all across the county — those of us too young or too new to the forest wars to remember the boom times may be able to look back on 2017 as the worst of our hard times.

Next Tuesday, area patrons will vote on one-year M&O levies for Mountain View School District 244 and Kamiah Joint School District 304.
School district administrators have been clear on the need for these levies, which will help to maintain current programs.
Without those funds, the school districts will suffer.

Kooskia gets it done when it comes to taking care of its precious resource: its children.
The Clearwater Valley is taking a proactive direction in funding its local schools through the Valley Educators Support Team (VEST).

When voting for a county commissioner, should you be limited to casting a ballot within your own district? This is an amendment to state law that is being proposed to go before the Idaho Legislature.
One that we say is unwarranted.